[parisite]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???

[NG VI]

latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Well my favorite defense ammo is actually one of the cheapest current designs, at most I've paid 50-60 cents a round for it. With today's ammo prices that is a lot less than it sounds like.

And I love shooting for fun, one of the best ways to spend an afternoon is bouncing around golf balls and empty shot shells with my Kadet Kit or .38s in one of my .357s.

[Deanimator]

I'm interested in both self-defense and recreational shooting. My bullseye practice and competition makes me a better self-defense shooter.

As somebody once said, you can't miss fast enough to win a gunfight.

[glassman]

Some people play golf or go to the gym or do things that give them pleasure, excitement or satisfaction (with their pants on). Like you, I spend every weekend punching paper for the pure enjoyment of it. I see it as an individual sport...just me against myself trying to improve my skills. Some days are better than others but it's always enjoyable. As far as killing another human being, I disagree. No sane person wants to do that. I see those threads as passing along information to others to improve their chances in a self defense situation.

[The Bushmaster]

I do a lot of recreational shooting and a small amount of combat shooting. Why you ask? One; combat shooting isn't as fun. Two; shooting for the enjoyment and for accuracy happen to fit right in with combat shooting. Because if you can't hit the target in the first place, all the combat shooting is of little good. Besides I practice at 25 yards. If I can hit a 3" dot at 25 yards free handed then if you are closer I won't miss...

[MrBorland]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore?

...Does anybody else do that anymore???

Yep...count me in! :D

[JellyJar]

I shoot for pleasure and accuracy as well as to enhance my ability to use a gun in SD both at the same time. :neener:

BTW I don't practice the art of handgun shooting just so I can kill a bad guy. I practice so that a bad guy won't kill me :cuss:

[David E]

I practice at 25 yards. If I can hit a 3" dot at 25 yards free handed then if you are closer I won't miss...

LOL ! If I had a nickel for everytime I heard this one.......:rolleyes:

Shooting for purely recreational purposes IS fun and I'm going to do more of it in 2010. Then again, I'm going to do more shooting in general in 2010.

[Walkalong]

I do a lot of recreational shooting and a small amount of combat shooting. Why you ask? One; combat shooting isn't as fun.Yep, just enough combat practice to keep sharp, or at least sharpish. I shoot pistols at 100 and 300 yards at our range. That will test you, but it is fun, and makes you a better shot closer in. ;)

[The Bushmaster]

Hey...I use to shoot a .357 magnum Colt SAA 4 3/4" barrel at steel pigs. 100 yards away. And THAT was fun...

[capbuster]

Everytime I go to the range I enjoy myself. If I do well, I am thankful. If I dont quite hit the mark,I try to learn from it. My firearms and ammo are sound,so I must constantly work on yours truly. Great fun. You all take care.

[Jolly Rogers]

To keep it short...Yes!
Joe

[franconialocal]

Sure...all the time!!

[Duble Naught Spy]

I do. I shoot mostly rimfire calibers for accuracy and lately I'm shooting it distances that most would consider impractical.

Fun factor is around two hundred percent;)
Mike

[DaveBeal]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore?
Yep. That's exactly why I shoot.

[ohioshooter]

Yep...the way I see it if I'm shooting at anything to try and hit it then I'm working on accuracy and if I'm shooting at all it's pleasure so I guess every time I go out I do both.

[weisse52]

Yes I do.

I have been shooting .22's more and more, just because they are fun. (and cheap)

We have room for all types of shooting, IDPA is fun if you want it to be.

[bigfatdave]

I shoot plenty for fun and accuracy, I have a door covered with targets I'm proud of, in fact.
My absolute favorite gun is my rimfire target pistol (Ruger mkIII with various up&down-grades) just today I:
punched some nice targets with it at my indoor range
helped a newer shooter get some quality trigger time without having to worry about how much money he was putting into the backstop
spent a few minutes dinging away on an old soup-pot at 30-40 yards outdoors (COLD! ... but those 20 hits in a row were worth it)

Target shooting and defensive shooting are two sides of the same coin, I did some point-shooting practice today in addition to shooting for score.

[brassdog]

Sure do!
I use my range time to relax and release stress. Something about the mental discipline required for controlling your shots that I find comforting and invigorating.

[kurt1305]

My favorite hobby at the moment is building up a Ruger 10/22 to see just how much accuracy I can squeeze out of it. For $500 including optics, I'm having a blast for a few dollars in ammo. My Buck Mark is getting renewed interest too.

[Quadkid]

The only time i shoot my gun is for fun. I rarely think about personal defense as I live in a quiet town with minimal crime.

[TigerBight]

+1 for target shooting, I enjoy reloading as well. I like to use different reload to see how they work in my pistols, rifles and a tc contender. I have a range membership at a outdoors, and indoors range. It is a great way to unwind and spend a afternoon.

[theotherwaldo]

I shoot for fun.

Someday the accuracy part may kick in, too!

[BCRider]

Up this way it's not a choice. Shooting handguns for fun is the ONLY game in town. We aren't allowed to carry them for self defense. Also they are "restricted" so they can only be used at certified ranges. This means no hunting with handguns or the short list of restricted rifles. We can't even shoot handguns on our own property even if it's out in the country and we have a huge acreage.

So that leaves us with club range target shooting, IPSC, IDPA, Cowboy Action, club sponsored modern three gun and other club match events.

TECHNICALLY we can use them for self defense at home but the legal defense costs surrounding that decision would be brutal. Better to use a rifle or shotgun for self defense. Even THAT would be looked at with a fine toothed comb with an eye to the crown laying charges.

The answer is to keep a baseball bat handy at most.

And you folks south of the border think you have it hard.... PHFFFFTH!

It's not so bad though, I went through 54 years of my life with no guns and didn't feel terribly vulnerable. Since taking up shooting it's been a blast and I've shot in some club level speed steel matches, cowboy action (SUPERB fun) and a couple of club level IPSC matches. It's a grand sport/hobby and I'm hoping to be able to carry on for quite a few more years.

[Sunray]

"...Does anybody else do that anymore???..." Yep. Bullseye shooting leagues are alive and doing well. The NRA heavily supports it as well. All the shooting games are about accurate fun shooting. There are far more shooters who shoot because it's fun than there is anything else.
"...The answer is to keep a baseball bat handy..." Hockey stick. You're a Canadian. snicker.

[stickhauler]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Sorry if I find that statement offensive, but how is discussing new loads of self defense ammo an automatic proof that people want to kill a bad guy? I doubt you'll find those here using jacketed hollow point ammo, or whatever self defense load they choose as a practice ammo. Sure, most of us make sure we fire some of it, simply to assure ourselves it will load and fire correctly, and consistently in our firearm.

The ammo I use for carry and what I use for practice is the same grain ammo, but I sure ain't taking several boxes of carry ammo to the range to punch holes in paper, full metal jacket, or wad cutter ammo works the same in a firearm as jacketed hollow point does.

It kind of seems you're making assumptions based on something I sure haven't seen here or elsewhere on line in gun forums.

Shooting skills are a perishable skill, if you don't practice regularly you lose the ability to hit a target effectively, and accurately. I'd ask you to not read into discussions of self defense ammo that doing so means anyone wants to draw down and kill someone. I'd wager everyone here never wants to fire a shot in anger, unless they're forced to do so to avoid being killed themselves.

[Irate Iguana]

Up this way it's not a choice. Shooting handguns for fun is the ONLY game in town.

It's the same where I live. Shooting at a certified range is the only possibility. So most of the time I shoot bullseye for fun.


So that leaves us with club range target shooting, IPSC, IDPA, Cowboy Action, club sponsored modern three gun and other club match events.

Most of those aren't even available where I live, or it takes a long time to drive to a club that does. Even then I can't count on regular practice with those disciplines. So mostly I just shoot bullseye and enjoy myself that way.

[bigfatdave]

how is discussing new loads of self defense ammo an automatic proof that people want to kill a bad guy? Good question.
Perhaps there is less discussion regarding range ammo and target shooting because most folks have figured out that generic range ammo is mostly all the same, and that the goal is to make the holes as close to the mark on the paper as possible ... so what's left to discuss?

[Mike OTDP]

I wouldn't be shooting ~175 rounds/week if self-defense were my only interest. You don't shoot that much unless you love it.

[wanderinwalker]

How can you take a K-frame .22 to the range and NOT be having fun there? Definitely BIG FUN! Hit those 25 yard plates fast DA, and enjoy. :evil:

[Quoheleth]

It's my #1 reason to go to the range: gunpowder therapy. Yes, I want to see how well I can shoot, but I'm not pretending to be a range commando. It's just shooting for the joy of shooting (so I can reload for the joy of reloading).

Q

[Eaglecreekbrewer]

Simple answer, yep.
I shoot twice a week in small bore, am an assistant coach for the Jr. Small Bore team, shoot high power once a month, along with my plinking range time. 99% of my shooting is about fun and accuracy. Like I tell the kids, it has to be fun first and foremost.

[herbie1]

I shoot purely for the enjoyment of shooting paper targets.

I am fortunate enough to live in a very low crime neighborhood, so I don't think I have a lot of SD needs.

I don't hunt either. I guess I can't bring myself to killing animals (but maybe someday I will give it a try), although I do love eating meat. I especially love medium rare NY strip steaks!! Yum Yum Yum! I guess I prefer my meat to be shrink wrapped and refrigerated, or already cooked and served to me :).

Right now my favorite is to mount a 2x scope on my .22 and push the target out to 25 yards.

Some day soon I would love to take up skeet shooting. I would like to try shooting moving targets.

H.

[w_houle]

I shoot merely for the fun of shooting. I go out and shoot things; hedge apples, clods of dirt, cans... whatever. Sometimes I'll make targets, but mainly to post the fact that I can hit things smaller than a bread box. It's not hard to keep some ammunition so to have loaded guns at hand, but SD is merely a side bonus. I have fun and enjoy a leisure activity.

[nerfsrule2]

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???... That what we do every Friday night... A few of us get together (Palmyra Sportsman's Association) and just shoot...We shoot at 7, 10 and 25 yards indoors...Just for the fun of it..Nothing Tactical(Tacta-cool).. Just Fun...We are usually there for at least 2 hours,we have shot 300 rounds and as little as 15.. The conversation is always there to supplement the Shooting.. What a Blast...:D

[jerrard]

Relevant to "kill the bad guy" I once read this statement, I forget the source but I always remember it.

"At that point in time when one must shoot another, whether that person lives or dies is irrelevant,

what is relevant is that you stop that person from doing whatever it was that caused you to shoot

in the first place. That accomplished, the life of that person is of coarse relevant."

I own guns, reload and shoot for fun. But I also feel defending life, limb and family with a gun is

a rational subject. (I live in L. A.)

[Capstick1]

Out of all the guns I shoot I think I enjoy shooting at paper and steel targets with my "Old School" .357 magnum revolvers the most. I use cheap cast bullet reloads with velocities kept under 1000 fps. When I get done using the range all I got to do is grab my targets, guns and leave. I usually bring a small bucket with me and everytime I fire a cylinder full of ammo I just dump the brass in the bucket. I don't have to spend any extra time picking brass up off the ground like these people shooting modern semiautomatics do. I'm not sure if a revolver qualifies as a good self defense gun anymore but I shoot both types of handguns pretty well. I do wish that more gun ranges would set up IPSC matches for revolver shooters.

[CooperThunder]

I enjoy shooting...it is a pleasure to do so and a joy to me when I hit the X mark. Sonny boy is constructing a teenie-weenie shooting range for me for my Christmas present. He even offered to pay for one half of the price of the gun of my choice. And it won't be airsoft either. :neener:So I can't wait for Christmas...(payback time!!!):D

[GreySmoke2]

I live in the Peoples Republic of Illinois so I primarily shoot for enjoyment. Entirely handguns at an indoor range (until the tundra thaws). It is a great stress remover, not just a reducer a complete remover for me. Lately I have been shooting 500-750rds per session. Mostly 22lr but quite a bit of 9 & 40 also. .45 is still too pricey for volume shooting.

[NinjaFeint]

I shoot mainly for pleasure. I post here mainly for discussion of firearms and shooting as a hobby. I do have guns/ammo for defense but I am not sure what kind of discussion I would need to have on them here. I will participate in weapons reliability discussions though.

[McCall911]

Anybody Shoot for Pleasure & Accuracy?

Oh, yeah.
I guess all my "bad guys" are paper targets, cans, milk jugs, scrap lumber, tree stumps, etc. There's a very large tree stump about 100 yards behind my house that has everything from .44 Special to .357 Magnum to .41 Long Colt to .380 bullets imbedded in it. (Of course, it's against a large hill so that I know where the bullets will be going if I miss.)
Few things relax me more!

[chriske]

All my shooting is for fun.

[M2 Carbine]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???
All my shooting is for pleasure.
It doesn't matter whether I'm just sitting and trying to shoot little groups or moving and shooting BG targets.

Punching holes in paper with a 22 or shooting my latest "man stopper" pistol loaded with the most destructive ammo I can find is all part of the interesting sport, hobby, whatever you want to call it, fun to me.

[LeonCarr]

When I am at the range, regardless of how I shoot, it is pure nirvana. Everything is right in the world when you shoot different combinations of handloads, and then you shoot the one that goes into a one hole group. When I go to the range the stress of everyday life just melts away after a few rounds downrange. The second best thing to melt away the stress is finding that one hole group load, and then going home and loading several hundred rounds of it :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[ar10]

It's my #1 reason to go to the range: gunpowder therapy. Yes, I want to see how well I can shoot, but I'm not pretending to be a range commando. It's just shooting for the joy of shooting (so I can reload for the joy of reloading).

Same here, I love trying out different powders and bullets.

[SharpsDressedMan]

The possibility of a gun owner having to shoot a person in self defense, should the topic become of concern to them, is a very big one. The people who post here are probably 99% law abiding (most of the time), and would hate to take a life, but do, on occasion, reflect on "what if". So, they share it here. I think we would ALL like to shoot for fun and the challenge of being good or accurate, but budget constraints cause us to be just a tad more practical, if self defense is one of our objectives, and spend our time and money reaching that goal. I shoot a lot, because I reload and can shoot more than I could if buying retail. This allows me to get to a certain level of proficiency with all my guns, and I'm sure that enhances my ability to defend myself, my family, and others. I am no longer obsessed with self defense, as I have reached a comfort level with my abilities (I used to be in LE for 20 years). For each shooter, they will be at a different level of competency and goals that they set for themselves. So, any apparent preoccupation with self defense is tied to being aware of the possibilities of self defense, and making the best of time and resources to become proficient at it. It might be what a "reasonably prudent" person might do........

[Jonah71]

The only time i shoot my gun is for fun. I rarely think about personal defense as I live in a quiet town with minimal crime.
I'm kinda on the same page here. We don't have a crime problem and I love going to the range frequently. But the range rounds I use are not the same as my CCW rounds. Those are the ones I never want to use.

[m2steven]

i strictly shoot for pleasure. I do carry a pistol for protection, but i don't practice for that. I'm very comfortable shooting.

[tipoc]

I enjoy shooting period. All types. I have guns which are primarily for accuracy work at distance. Others are primarily defensive. I shoot both and enjoy both.

tipoc

[Elvishead]

Anybody Shoot for Pleasure & Accuracy?

I don't, I shoot for accuracy & then pleasure. Either way it's pleasure.

[SGRAVESOK]

I shoot for fun and accuracy. It is also a great way to relax and forget the job. Always remember, a bad day at the range beats a great day at work. (rarely have either).

[sig220mw]

Heck yeah I shoot for fun. I also reload for fun. Experimenting with new loads gives me a reason to go shoot more and more. Also during the off season while knocking around in the woods on a deer lease I do some casual shooting.

[Water-Man]

Yes! I shoot for pleasure and accuracy and, in turn, am better prepared to kill a bad guy.

[kmbrman]

You bet ! I shoot for pleasure and accuracy and when I buy a handgun I upgrade to adjustable sights if possible.

[JEB]

i sure do

[Gunfighter123]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

You ask a reasonable question -- BUT -- it sure can be taken as a "flame-job" question --- maybe you should have used a few "smileys".

Other then to function test a gun --- all shooting is for "accuracy" --- I mean you must be trying to hit something !!! Be it a barn door or a 100 foot backstop.

Here in even anti-gun Illinois --I shoot/have shot indoor/outdoor Bullseye {.22/.45/.38} ,Trap,Skeet , Sporting Clay , SASS/Cowboy Action , IPSC , IDPA , 3 Gun Action , Long Range Sillouete{sp?}both rimfire/centerfire , Urban Action , turkey/meat shoots , Hi Power Rifle , Long Distance/Sniper , Black Powder long range , etc. etc. etc. -- and that is just the competitive type shooting ---- add the practice for the above AND the just fun plinking ---- you can tell I shoot THOUSANDS of rounds every year. ALL THAT SHOOTING IS PLEASURE !!! Paying for it the PAIN !!!

I find HUNDREDS of posts here at THR every week on every topic I listed above. Yes , I also read about tactics for self-defense and range reports about all those new "wiz-bang" rhino stoppers.

What I am saying is there is a place for ALL US HERE ---- MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

[Offfhand]

WOW! Gunfighter, with all the competitive shooting you do you must have won tons of trophys.

[searcher451]

Shooting for pleasure and accuracy? I do that all the time, every time I go to the range, in fact. Sure, I practice with my carry gun -- I'd be foolish not to. But once the practice is over, shooting for pleasure and for accuracy is what a range trip is all about.

[Rexster]

" Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???"

Yes, absolutely. This describes most of my shooting, except that I don't have easy access to 25 yards, unless I travel quite a distance. I have a K-frame S&W sixgun that is fired more than all of my other firearms, combined. This kind of shooting IS still relevant to defensive shooting, but the main motive is pure enjoyment.

I have other handguns that are currently used for pure recreation, too, such as my Les Baer 1911 and single action sixguns. This doesn't begin to get into the rifles and shotguns. Of course, the Baer or the sixguns COULD be used defensively, and the Baer, especially, could excel at that role; it was my personal-time carry gun for a while, and may see that role again.

My .357 revolving handguns are still serious defensive weapons, but my main reason for shooting them is recreational, and I don't favor the hottest loads for most of the shooting. My duty/carry SIG P229s are fun to shoot, too. These weapons are sometimes fired one-handed, in a classic target shooter's stance, or from a sandbag or improvised rest.

I like shooting! :)

[Rexster]

I will add that my former duty/carry sixguns, and my current duty/carry P229s, point like my K-frame .22 sixgun, and the DA trigger pulls are similar in weight and stroke, but keep in mind that the .22 sixgun is my favored FUN gun, regardless of the others. It is my serious guns that are like my fun gun, by my choice, not the other way around. I have had the fun gun longer than all but perhaps one of of my present serious guns.

My signature line, below, refers to my single action sixguns, which are fun guns.

[luigi]

Nope I shoot because I hate it and I want to miss

[QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW]

absolutly, yesterday i went with my dad, brother and a friend to the outdoor range. my friend and i then played poker. i had my SKS with Tech200 peep sights and he had my mosin M44 with the same sights. both are not the most accurate rifle's but at 100 yards and open sights its a lot of fun.

[ChCx2744]

Practice to kill? I do not shoot to kill a bad guy, I shoot to stop a threat. When I go to the range, I am practicing my threat stopping skills. Recreation? Sure, I guess...Shooting guns is a bit fun, but I still try to keep a clear mindset and focus on my grip, trigger pull, sight acquisition and reloading/malfunction clearing techniques.

[Peter M. Eick]

Yes, I would say that the bulk of my shooting is just for fun and accuracy. This is why I always try and shoot 50 shot groups offhand with no rests. This way I see what the gun and shooter can do instead of just random chance like a normal 5 shot group will tell you.

[CZ223]

I shoot for both pleasure and accuracy but don't always attain either. Like Gunfighter, I have been competing in the shooting sports in one form or another for close to 20 years. Recently most of my shooting has been done with my self defence handguns and it has been some of the most pleasureable shooting I have done in a long time. I have thought about joining IDPA just for practice but I know how that will turn out.

[carbuncle]

I shoot for the pleasure of knowing that my accuracy will save my life and protect my family.

[minutemen1776]

I think I see the OP's point, though I don't agree with the level of "bloodlust" that he seems to be attributing to a lot of shooters. Lately when I've gone to a nearby indoor range, though, most of what I see are people blazing away at life-size, realistic looking "bad guy" targets at extremely close range. Very few are shooting conventional, round bullseye targets, and few seem especially concerned with accuracy. Frankly, most just seem giddy to hit the target at all at 7 yards. As a result, most of the pulled targets look as though they've been peppered with buckshot instead of aimed pistol rounds. I don't get this mentality at all, because I always try to minimize group sizes at whatever distance I'm shooting, and I normally utilize targets with multiple smaller bullseyes rather than the big silhouettes.